The present invention relates to a camera, for example, an electronic camera in which an electric element, such as a stroboscopic light-emitting unit, is stored in an openable/closable cover unit attached to a camera body.
With reduction in size of a camera, e.g., an electronic camera, it becomes difficult to secure a space for an operating section and a display section. To achieve both size reduction and operability of a camera body, it is considered to store in the camera body an auxiliary function unit which is not normally used, and expose it only when it is used. For example, as regards a digital camera, a monitoring LCD device, a stroboscope, an auxiliary operating unit, etc. may be stored in an openable/closable cover unit.
More specifically, a so-called pop-up type stroboscope has been developed and put to practical use. In the pop-up type stroboscope, a stroboscopic light emitting unit is stored in the cover unit, and exposed out of the camera body only when the stroboscope is used.
The stroboscope has the following problems: as the camera body becomes compact, a space where the light emitting surface is set cannot be secured; and since the stroboscopic light emitting unit is located near the photographing optical axis, the "pink-eye effect" occurs. These problems, however, have been solved by the pop-up type stroboscope.
The openable/closable cover unit is mainly comprised of an upper cover and a lower cover. A spindle or a bearing for rotation is provided in either the upper or lower cover. Since the spindle does not have a sufficient mechanical strength, a stop member for preventing the cover unit from rotating over a predetermined angle is provided to support the spindle. One end of the stop member is rotatably supported by the camera body, and the other end is slid along a cam groove formed in the upper or lower cover of the cover unit.
Another problem is how to deal with a plurality of lead lines connecting electronic circuit components of the cover unit to the camera body. In particular, if the stroboscopic light emitting unit is stored in the cover unit, comparatively thick lead lines, instead of a flexible circuit board, are used for wiring. The thick lead lines may make large resistance, depending on the wiring path, when the openable/closable cover unit is rotated. Moreover, according to circumstances, the wiring material of the lead lines may be cut due to fatigue resulting from repeated rotating operations of the cover unit. Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 8-184883 describes that the cover unit has therein a space for slack of lead lines required for rotation.
As described above, according to the conventional art, since a spindle or bearing and a cam groove is formed in either the upper or lower cover, the mold must have an undercut structure, requiring a slide mold. Therefore, the mold costs high. Further, if a space for slack of lead lines is provided in the cover unit, the volume and size of the cover unit itself are inevitably increased, resulting in contradiction to reduction in size of the camera.